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Lord Rockbottom
Few aboard the Talion are more striking in appearance than the dwarf “Lord” Joln Rockbottom. With one wooden leg and an imperious countenance, he stands at attention in the forecastle wearing a well-tailored, bright red jacket with polished brass buttons and with a tremendous bicorn perched atop his head. Comical though he might appear, none who have sailed for long aboard the Talion would dare so much as chuckle where he could hear it. The dwarf has a position of singular importance among the crew and boasts a deadlier hand with weapons than appearances suggest. His combat prowess is not what keeps the men in line, however: Rockbottom is the ship’s treasurer, maintaining finances and paying the crew. His dizzying contact portfolio keeps the Talion working, and though the outfit has a shadowy reputation in many ports, Joln’s bribes and negotiations obscure any misdeeds with an air of legitimacy. Without the dwarf, the Talion could not maintain its aggressive posture and would not find any welcome ports. Rockbottom is offended by characterizations of Rhulfolk as greedy meddlers. He insists most Rhulfolk are goodhearted and focus on their families and crafts. Joln has chosen to master the “craft” of speculative finance, a sacred calling emulating Great Father Ghrd, the patron of wealth. Rockbottom will not explain the exact conditions under which he left Rhul or the status of his “lordship.” Rumors describe a dispute with the Moot of the Hundred Houses over a breach in the Edict of Ownership. Apparently the Moot lacked sufficient evidence to execute or brand Joln, but some speculate he chose a life at sea in an attempt to obey their dictate to stay as far away from Rhul as physically possible. He still has friends in both the Glass Peaks and Cygnaran dwarven conclaves as well as an ally or two in the Searforge Commission. Rockbottom soon developed an association with the cutthroat Mercarian League, which at first seemed a perfect match—until his greed and penchant for constructing webs of delicate alliances eventually soured his relationship with the organization. No one knows the full extent of Joln’s dealings, but he has kept company with Cryxian smugglers, Khadoran kayazy, and Caspian inventors, sometimes all in the same day. Rockbottom believes a well-placed coin can solve nearly any political or legal difficulty. This philosophy backfired in his position as paymaster and financier for the Exeter and put him at cross-purposes with her captain, who called him out on several charges. Joln was guilty of many of the allegations leveled against him, except insurrection; he prefers to let others lead and to influence indirectly using coin. The crew’s effort to save him from the Exeter’s brig genuinely moved Joln, and he is grateful to Doc for removing his gangrenous leg before the subsequent mutiny. Most of the Talion crew view Rockbottom as Captain Shae’s equal, and he might be the linchpin that holds the ship together. His financial prowess and political acumen perfectly complement Shae’s courage and tactical brilliance. In fact, Joln still owns a small fleet of merchant vessels and invests some of the proceeds from these outside interests into maintaining the Talion—among other dubious ventures. Recently, he has taken a greater interest in his private fleet after coming into possession of a rudder that showed the way to the distant and barely explored continent of Zu. He has taken measures to journey to its main trading port and back, establishing several lucrative deals, and certainly hopes to leverage this into even greater gains in the future. Rockbottom dreams big and hopes someday to influence trade across the entire region as well as possibly fund other expeditions to exotic locales. Meanwhile he uses the luxuries gained through pillage at sea to increase his comfort while aboard the pirate vessel. No one on the Talion resents the fact that Rockbottom never lifts a hand to help with mundane tasks. Such menial tasks, after all, are beneath a “lord.”